Doomed Fate 7.4: The Uruk-Hai

I broke down and opened my remaining Saga expansions to increase my card pool. With this, I also replaced Eomer with Treebeard, as he is the most thematic hero choice for this mission (see previous posts). I now have a Leadership/Tactics deck; let’s see if it fares any better.

The Uruk-Hai (easy mode; campaign), attempt 4
Heroes:			Campaign Pool:
Current:    Eomer    Gimli    Pippin, captive    Aragorn (TToS), +1 threat   Previously Used in Campaign:    Frodo Baggins    Gandalf (defeated)    Sam Gamgee			Boons:    Anduril    Gildor Inglorion    Glamdring    Leaf-Wrapped Lembas    Mithril Shirt    Noble Hero (Frodo Baggins)    Sting   Burdens:    + Followed by Night    Gandalf’s Delay    Overcome by Grief    Shadow of Fear
Card Pool
Core Set (old edition) Celebrimbor’s Secret (AP) Shadow and Flame (AP) + The Treason of Saruman (Saga) + The Flame of the West (Saga)			The Black Riders (Saga) The Dead Marshes (AP) The Road Darkens (Saga) + The Land of Shadow (Saga) + The Mountain of Fire (Saga)
Deck (50)
Allies (20):		Attachments (12):			Events (18):
x2 Faramir x2 Galadriel x2 Guard of the Citadel x3 Orophin x3 Snowbourn Scout x2 Boromir x3 Grimbold x3 Vassal of the Windlord		x1 Celebrian’s Stone x2 Guthwine x1 Roheryn x2 Steward of Gondor x2 Arod x2 Citadel Plate x2 Golden Shield			x2 Captains of the West x2 Sneak Attack x1 Feint x2 Quick Strike x2 Sterner Than Steel x3 Banner of Elendil x3 Frodo’s Intuition x3 The Three Hunters
Legend
Allies	Allies put into play during the Planning Phase this turn			Activity log. ED: Encounter Deck EE: Enemy from ED EL: Location from ED ET: Treachery from ED EO: Objective from ED SA: staging area >>: engages #: Event card played PA: Player A +: enters play -: exits play ===: Quest Card completed QC: Quest Card //: defeats CA: Character Ability
Attachments	Attachments put into play during the Planning Phase this turn
Threat	Staging Area threat / player threat at beginning of round
Engaged Enemies	Engaged enemies at the beginning of turn (damage tokens on enemy)
Location Log	Location at beginning of turn >> location traveled to this turn during Travel Phase
Setup
Allies	--			SA: + To Isengard! SA: + Ugluk Pippin placed under To Isengard! ED: + Followed by Night ED: + Shadow of Fear Glamdring and Anduril added to PA’s deck +1 starting threat for hero replacement
Attachments	+ Leaf-Wrapped Lembas (Aragorn)
Threat	3 / 22, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 1
Allies	--			ET: Followed by Night EE: Uruk-Hai Fighter Quest: -1 PA >> Uruk-Hai Fighter # Sneak Attack PA // Uruk-Hai Fighter
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 22, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 2
Allies	+ Grimbold			ET: Rest By Night Quest ended
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 24, 12
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 3
Allies	+ Orophin + Vassal of the Windlord			ET: Rest By Night (are you fucking kidding me) Quest ended
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 25, 17
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 4
Allies	--			ET: Shadow of Fear The Wold Quest: +3
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 26, 22
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet >> The Wold
Turn 5
Allies	--			# Captains of the West EE: Isengard Uruk # Frodo’s Intuition Quest: +10 PA >> Isengard Uruk Leaf-Wrapped Lembas discarded from SE PA // Isengard Uruk
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 28, 25
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	The Wold >>
Turn 6
Allies	+ Boromir			EL: The Wold Quest: +5
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 29, 27
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log
Turn 7
Allies	+ Citadel Guard			EL: The Wold Quest: +11 PV hits 30
Attachments	+ Banner of Elendil
Threat	5 / 30, 29
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log
***DEFEATED*** Pursuit Value hits 30

 

Reflection

Okay, so I had a very rough start, but there are some powerful questing cards in here (Banner of Elendil, Captains of the West). I had rotten luck drawing my two Burden treacheries back-to-back, and then two Rest By Night treacheries (I swear I shuffled 7 times before playing). I had Gimli absorb some damage early undefended (hoping for Citadel Plate to show up…), and Rest By Night requires each questing character to take 1 damage. This would have killed Gimli, so opted to increase my PV by 3 instead… twice. Without that, I think I would have stood a chance.

I also have some expensive Leadership cards which was a bit of a struggle. If I can get Steward of Gondor early on, I think I have a decent shot here!

Most Valuable Cards (MVC)

MVC #1: Captains of the West (Mountain of Fire). This allows Noble Heroes to get +1 willpower and does not make them exhaust to quest. This is great for my team, as they are all Noble!

MVC #2: Banner of Elendil (Flame of the West). This attaches to Fellowship Aragorn, and allows other characters to get a boost in questing or attacking depending on if Aragorn is questing or attacking. And that’s characters, NOT heroes, so this gave me a huge quest boost with my allies.

 

Most Valuable Hero

This is hard to say… I miss Treebeard’s willpower, but there are some good leadership cards Eomer allowed me to access (I never used his character ability, and a willpower of 1 isn’t great). I would say Aragorn probably was most helpful, with his Banner of Elendil and ability to ready heroes with his resources.

 

The Biggest Nasty

Definitely Rest By Night. Getting that back-to-back crippled me this game (although if I had more health or healing, perhaps that would have been different).

 

Looking Forward

I’m going to try this deck again. It’s frustrating re-doing this scenario so many times, especially knowing Helm’s Deep is around the corner.

Doomed Fate 7.3: The Uruk-Hai

I had a little bit of hiatus with my recent move, but I’m back at it! I didn’t adjust my deck; I’ve been itching to play so I want to just jump in and see how it goes.

The Uruk-Hai (easy mode; campaign), attempt 3
Heroes:			Campaign Pool:
Current:    Treebeard    Gimli    Pippin, captive    Aragorn (TToS), +1 threat   Previously Used in Campaign:    Frodo Baggins    Gandalf (defeated)    Sam Gamgee			Boons:    Anduril    Gildor Inglorion    Glamdring    Leaf-Wrapped Lembas    Mithril Shirt    Noble Hero (Frodo Baggins)    Sting   Burdens:    + Followed by Night    Gandalf’s Delay    Overcome by Grief    Shadow of Fear
Card Pool
Core Set (old edition) Celebrimbor’s Secret (AP) Shadow and Flame (AP) + The Treason of Saruman (Saga)			The Black Riders (Saga) The Dead Marshes (AP) The Road Darkens (Saga)
Deck (50)
Allies (21):		Attachments (11):			Events (18):
x3 Elrond x1 Erebor Hammersmith x1 Henamarth Riversong x2 Quickbeam x3 Wandering Ent x1 Beorn x2 Boromir x2 Farmer Maggot x2 Legolas x3 Vassal of the Windlord x1 Veteran Axehand		x2 Ent Draught x2 Protector of Lorien x2 Self Preservation x2 Arod x2 Citadel Plate x1 Horn of Gondor			x2 Entmoot x2 Radagast’s Cunning x2 Secret Paths x2 Feint x2 Hands Upon the Bow x2 Quick Strike x3 Frodo’s Intuition x3 The Three Hunters
Legend
Allies	Allies put into play during the Planning Phase this turn			Activity log. ED: Encounter Deck EE: Enemy from ED EL: Location from ED ET: Treachery from ED EO: Objective from ED SA: staging area >>: engages #: Event card played PA: Player A +: enters play -: exits play ===: Quest Card completed QC: Quest Card //: defeats CA: Character Ability
Attachments	Attachments put into play during the Planning Phase this turn
Threat	Staging Area threat / player threat at beginning of round
Engaged Enemies	Engaged enemies at the beginning of turn (damage tokens on enemy)
Location Log	Location at beginning of turn >> location traveled to this turn during Travel Phase
Setup
Allies	--			SA: + To Isengard! SA: + Ugluk Pippin placed under To Isengard! ED: + Followed by Night ED: + Shadow of Fear Glamdring and Anduril added to PA’s deck +1 starting threat for hero replacement Mulligan
Attachments	+ Leaf-Wrapped Lembas (Aragorn)
Threat	3 / 24, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 1
Allies	--			EL: Banks of Entwash Quest: +3
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 25, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	The Eastemnet >> Banks of Entwash
Turn 2
Allies	+ Boromir			ET: Saruman’s Orders ET: Shadow of Fear EL: The Wold Quest: +2
Attachments	+ Self Preservation (Treebeard)
Threat	3 / 26, PV: 12
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Banks of Entwash
Turn 3
Allies	+ Quickbeam			EL: Plains of Rohan Quest: +5
Attachments	--
Threat	5 / 28, PV: 15
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Banks of Entwash >> The Wold
Turn 4
Allies	--			EL: The Wold Quest: +5
Attachments	--
Threat	4 / 29, PV: 18
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	The Wold >> The Wold
Turn 5
Allies	--			EE: Isengard Uruk Quest: +8 PA >> Isengard Uruk PA // Isengard Uruk
Attachments	+ Protector of Lorien (Aragorn)
Threat	4 / 30, PV: 21
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	The Wold >>
Turn 6
Allies	--			EL: The Wold # Secret Paths Quest: +11 (1 away…)
Attachments	+ Ent Draught (Treebeard)
Threat	4 / 31, PV: 23
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	>> The Wold
Turn 7
Allies	--			EE: Ugluk’s Uruk-Hai ET: Plains of Rohan Quest: +4 (still 1 away!!) PA >> Ugluk’s Uruk-Hai Ugluk’s Uruk-Hai // Boromir PA // Ugluk’s Uruk-Hai
Attachments	+ Anduril (Gimli)
Threat	4 / 32, PV: 26
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	The Wold >> Plains of Rohan
Turn 8
Allies	--			ET: Strange Weariness Quest: +5 PV hits 30.
Attachments	--
Threat	4 / 33, PV: 28
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Plains of Rohan
===DEFEAT=== Pursuit Value hit 30

 

Reflection

I was close to catching up, but couldn’t quite make it. I did not get much early game willpower allies, but Protector of Lorien and Treebeard’s ability helped me get close. Unfortunately, this left Treebeard quite damaged the entire game (which if we made it to part 2 would have been a problem) and forced me to thin my hand to the point at the end where I had none left. Indeed, I even sacrificed 2 of my Wandering Ents for the immediate +1 willpower through Protector of Lorien.

The Location cards kept me busy and absorbed a lot of my questing, which I did successfully throughout. I didn’t get either Citadel Plates for Gimli, so he was not up to his full power when I lost. This means that I likely would have lost anyway, since Ugluk has a whopping 5 attack power, plus 1 defense and a toughness level of 3 (which basically acts as defense, except it also defends against direct damage so it’s even worse).

Once again, I did not draw a single Fellowship sphere card. I shuffled 7 times!!

It feels like I could win if I get ideal card draw, but otherwise things don’t seem too hopeful.

 

Most Valuable Cards (MVC)

MVC #1: Protector of Lorien (Core Set). As mentioned, this helped me get willpower up, but at the cost of my hand. I used it liberally because I was desperate, but I discarded some useful combat cards that would have been helpful if I would have made it to Ugluk.

MVC #2: Ent Draught (Treason of Saruman). This only costs 1 Lore resource, but allows me to add +2 HP to a character (limit 1 per character). This could have been helpful for Gimli, but I used it for Treebeard to add additional willpower.

 

Most Valuable Hero

Treebeard. He was my best quester, which was most needed for the first part of the quest. His character ability allowed him to get a willpower of 4 consistently with Self Preservation.

 

The Biggest Nasty

Ugh… this whole quest? I guess the biggest nasty for this playthrough was probably the Plains of Rohan. It seems harmless by itself, since its threat level is X, where X is the number of locations in the staging area. I kept it in the staging area, but when I drew locations it went up to 2 threat. When I drew the second Plains of Rohan, that jumped up to 4 for both, and would only get worse. It takes 4 progress tokens to explore it, which ultimately absorbed my quest power and preventing me from continuing on to Quest Card 2 in my last turn.

 

Looking Forward

I’m not sure where to go from here, but I should re-evaluate my deck. I was going to do this before this playthrough, but it has been so long since I played I wanted to just jump in.

I’m also considering stopping the progression style play and just adding all my cards to my pool to make the best deck possible. I’ve heard many players say having a larger card pool is a must to succeed in some quests, and this is the first instance in the Saga Expansions where I may be encountering that.

Or maybe I’ll replace Treebeard with someone else? Who knows, but it feels like my current situation is just banging my head up against a wall.